BUTTE — Missoula Big Sky's baseball team held on for the win and in doing so booked a return trip to the Mining City.
The Eagles built a 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning and then fended off a comeback effort from Butte High to prevail 7-5 on Tuesday at 3 Legends Stadium to clinch at least the second seed in the Western AA and an automatic berth to the first Class AA state tournament, which will be held in Butte at the end of the month.
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Big Sky can still emerge as the No. 1 seed depending on how other conference games unfold this week.
A win would have guaranteed the Bulldogs no worse that the No. 4 seed and a home play-in game. The top two seeds automatically qualify for state while No. 3 will host No. 6 and No. 4 will host No. 5 in the play-in games.
The Eagles led 7-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh before Butte reeled off three runs — including a two-RBI home run from Tegan Duffy — to cut the lead to 7-5 and then loaded the bases. Big Sky's Colter Nicolarsen then induced the final out on a fly out to right field to end the comeback attempt.
Ethan Paugh led the Eagles with two RBIs and Rowan Miculka and Nicolarsen also notched an RBI apiece.
Butte was led by Duffy who had three hits and three RBIs in four at-bats.
The Eagles wrap up the regular season Thursday as they host East Helena while the Bulldogs close out the regular season with non-conference games against Great Falls CMR at home on Friday and on the road against Great Falls on Saturday.
